Question

select the correct answer.

an enzyme in a cell became dysfunctional because of an alteration. as a result, the dna strands would not separate to begin the replication process. which enzyme has been affected?

a. dna ligase

b. dna polymerase

c. helicase

d. rna primase

e. topoisomerase

Explanation:

Each enzyme has a unique role in DNA replication:

• DNA ligase seals gaps between DNA fragments.
• DNA polymerase adds new nucleotides to growing strands.
• Helicase unwinds and separates double-stranded DNA, which is the first step to start replication.
• RNA primase makes RNA primers for DNA polymerase.
• Topoisomerase relieves tension from unwinding DNA.

Since the DNA strands cannot separate to start replication, the affected enzyme is helicase.

Answer:

C. helicase